The Beatles White Album

“The Beatles” (1968), popularly known as “The White Album,” was designed by Richard Hamilton to feature a stamped serial number, giving the imprimatur of exclusivity and rarity when, in fact, something like five million numbered copies were released.

White Album’s being reissued in November with a bunch of bonus tracks. Giles Martin, George’s son, has been going through the EXTENSIVE session tapes — most of the songs were finalized in the studio at Abbey Road, and went through a lot of revisions — one was subjected to 102 takes, another to 62 — and pulling out interesting variations. Hopefully not all 102 versions (like The Stooges did with their “Fun House Complete Sessions”).

Many “legendary” alternate versions may finally see the light of day, like a 23-minute “Helter Skelter” (reportedly dead boring). Supposedly the first day at Abbey Road John brought in Yoko who proceeded to do her yodeling/ululating thing. The other boys were appalled. Things went downhill fast after that.

Also included will be the widely-bootlegged “Esher Tapes” where all four Beatles sat down at George’s house (in Esher, Surrey) a few days before entering Abbey Road, to run through the songs they’d written in India, just the four of them playing on acoustic instruments, demo quality, no post-production. Several of the songs are substantially different from the White Album released versions (I have a copy of the bootleg).